Formula 1 may have lost a potential candidate for a future full-time driver position. Pato O’Ward, McLaren test and reserve driver, stated that he has reduced his ambitions to compete in the category and criticized the current direction of the championship, which he says looks ‘more like a show’.
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The Mexican, who has held the role of third driver for the British team since 2022, stated that his motivation to reach Formula 1 has decreased as the category moved away from what he considers to be the essence of racing. For O’Ward, the category has adopted elements that make the spectacle more artificial.
“Honestly, I think Formula 1 made a mistake in the way it has become now. It looks artificial,” he told Fox Deportes. O’Ward emphasized that his interest in the category was never linked to fame or money, but rather to the technical challenge of the cars.
“The fire I had to go to Formula 1 was not for fame or money, really not. It was because those cars were incredible. Driving those cars was impressive, watching them was impressive. And I feel that every year a little bit of that essence has been taken away. That pure feeling,” he said.
At 25 years old, O’Ward has established himself as one of IndyCar’s leading names since his debut in the North American category in 2020. Last year, the Mexican finished the championship in second position, behind Alex Palou, achieving his best result to date.
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Even with this performance, the path to Formula 1 never materialized, and now it seems to no longer be a priority for him. During his four years with McLaren, O’Ward participated in five free practice sessions and believes he may add one more participation by the end of the current season.
“Near the end of the year, when the season is over, I think I will do a test and maybe even an FP1 in Formula 1. But I can’t say for sure, because nothing is confirmed yet,” O’Ward said.
Much of the Mexican’s criticism is related to features that facilitate overtakes, which in his view harm the natural competitiveness of races. The driver compared the situation to the driving experience he considers more authentic: “Someone like me seeks this, you want to race because you have that passion. You want to push the car to the limit on braking, go through a fast corner as fast as possible. Not press a button to overtake someone, as if it were something artificial. It’s not ‘Mario Kart’. We are racing,” he added.
Given this scenario, O’Ward stated that he is satisfied with his current reality in IndyCar and indicated that his priority is now outside Formula 1: “That’s why I’m very happy in IndyCar. For me, it is currently the best category for a driver who truly wants to race,” he concluded.
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